Lake Erie Water Situation: Helpful Information

The water emergency in Toledo has abated for now, but the fundamental challenge remains: protecting Lake Erie, which is the source of our drinking water along the north coast.

Never before has this much attention been focused on the challenge that we face as a region, a state, and a nation.

Through this site, we will try to provide data as well as links to other important sources of information.

The more information that the public has, the more effective our response to this challenge will be.

Yours,

Congresswoman Kaptur

Congresswoman Kaptur discussed the Lake Erie crisis with Larry Burns, vice president at the University of Toledo, on WJR Radio in Detroit. She praised the work of the university's Lake Erie Center, funding for which Congresswoman Kaptur secured. She also called for creation of a federal financing structure to assist cities and other local government to pay for improvements to their water infrastructure.

To listen, or to download the program, go to: Addressing the health of Lake Erie during algae season
 

News articles related to the water emergency and Lake Erie algae:

Ohio provides $150M in loans to fight algae

Southwest braces as Lake Mead water levels drop

Phosphorus control efforts have slipped as algae problem grows

Toledo Water Ban is an Indictment of State Failure to Address Algal Blooms: Editorial

Rep. Marcy Kaptur wants local testing, protocols, to battle the green slime

Speakers at UT Forum Call Crisis Turning Point

Special Flights to Monitor Lake Erie Algae Bloom
 

A watershed is the area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place. See the map below created by the Western Lake Erie Basin Partnership:

Website links that provide additional information you may need:
 

Ohio Algae Information Web Page

http://www.epa.ohio.gov/HABAlgae.aspx

This page will allow you to see Algal Toxin Results from Lake Erie, Ohio State Park Beaches and public water supplies or to report an algae bloom to the State of Ohio EPA

City of Toledo Microcystin Event Preliminary Summary, August 4, 2014

Toledo Post Protocol Test Results
This spreadsheet contains the results of tests performed by US EPA, OH EPA and Toledo AFTER consensus was reached on using the ELISA - Unlysed Quenched methodology. There are two worksheets, the first organized newest to oldest and the second organized oldest to newest.
 

Information from the United States Environmental Protection Agency

USEPA Region 5
USEPA WATER
WATER RESOURCES
Consumer Confidence Reports
 

Information from the United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service
National Resources Conservation Service
National Resources Conservation Service Water Quality
Animal Waste
Salinity
Nutrients

USDA WATER QUALITY INFORMATION CENTER
USDA Watershed Research
Collaboration Toolkit: Protecting Drinking Water Sources Through Agricultural Conservation Practices
Annual Phosphorus Loss Estimator
Water Quality Index for Agricultural Runoff
Surf Your Watershed
Federal Support Toolbox
Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox
Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool